The prognosis of mesothelioma depends entirely upon whom you are listening to. While the median survival rate reported by most studies is less than a year, there are more and more survivors of 5 and 10 years and longer.
Dr. David Sugarbaker at Brigham and Women’s Center in Boston has been treating mesothelioma patients with long-term success rates. His treatment is so successful that almost 40% of his mesothelioma patients’ survival rates exceed five-years. One of his screening criteria for entering his treatment program is that the patient be in the early stages of their disease. So, early diagnosis is critical.
Early diagnosis gives you the best opportunity for success with whatever treatment your doctor recommends. New mesothelioma diagnostic biomarkers are being studied in the hope of finding a means of early detection of mesothelioma. The sooner you seek treatment the more likely mesothelioma will succumb to treatment.
Clinical trials also offer hope. With new drugs being tested, new methods for early diagnosis, and studies being done in countries throughout the world, progress is being made to slow the progress of mesothelioma, and hopefully to cure this devastating disease.
Efforts are also being made to increase awareness of the dangers of asbestos, and to encourage the enforcement of safety precautions and protective measures for employees. People are encouraged to take the initiative to protect themselves and reduce exposure to asbestos.
But for those already affected by asbestos exposure, hope lies first in early diagnosis. See your doctor immediately if you experience any of the symptoms of mesothelioma, and make sure your doctor knows you are at risk for mesothelioma.
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, please contact the lawyers with experience in mesothelioma claims, Brown | Kiely, LLP, in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
